The Sixers are currently operating right up against their first-apron hard cap and don’t have the ability to add a 15th man without making a cost-cutting trade. On top of that, one of their 14 players on standard contracts is expected to miss the entire 2026/27 season, as Ariel Hukporti underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.
That leaves Philadelphia with 13 players on standard contracts, and several of those players are dealing with their own minor health problems. The Sixers announced the following injury updates on Wednesday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports and Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter links):
Forward Dominick Barlow, who sat out the 76ers’ preseason opener on Monday due to a back issue, will remain sidelined for at least the team’s next two games on Thursday vs. Brooklyn and Saturday vs. Boston. He’s consulting with the medical staff regarding treatment options.
Offseason addition Anfernee Simons will also remain on the shelf for the next two preseason games after missing Monday’s opener. The veteran guard was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice as he deals with a hamstring problem.
Big man Adem Bona continues to recover from the left foot sprain he sustained while playing for the Turkish national team in the World Cup qualifiers. He advanced to on-court work for the first time on Wednesday but won’t play on Thursday or Saturday.
The Sixers are scheduled to play just four total games during the preseason, so the October 16 contest vs. Boston will be the last chance for Barlow, Simons, and Bona to see any action before the regular season tips off on Oct. 20. It remains to be seen whether one or more of them will be active for that preseason finale next Friday.
While Philadelphia is missing several role players, the expectation is that the club’s star-studded starting five will be active on Thursday, head coach Nick Nurse said today (Twitter link via Neubeck). With a handful of reserves unavailable, Nurse should also have an opportunity to evaluate the camp invitees on non-guaranteed deals, who could be under consideration for the team’s open two-way contract slot.
Of course, with Hukporti out for the season and Bona still on the mend, the team may want to use that third two-way spot on a center — Tacko Fall is the only one of the Sixers’ five Exhibit 10 players who fits the bill, and he’s out due to a hip strain.
For now, it sounds like the 76ers will lean on small-ball looks when starting center Joel Embiid isn’t on the floor. Speaking today to reporters, Nurse identified Barlow (when healthy), Jabari Walker, Dean Wade, and even LeBron James as potential options at the five (Twitter link via Neubeck).